The present invention is directed to low calorie fat substitutes. More specifically, it is directed to an emulsion containing an oil phase and an aqueous phase which is useful as a low calorie fat substitute.
In today's health conscious society, there is a growing demand for low calorie foods. Excess body weight not only creates a feeling of low self confidence in social situations but also has been shown to contribute to the impairment of the cardiovascular function of the individual. Moreover, the reduction of the performance capacity of the individual is another consequence of excess body weight.
Many approaches have been suggested to control excess body weight. The use of chemical appetite suppressants and appetite inhibitors is a well known approach but these chemical agents are often unsafe for long term use and/or may have undesirable side effects. Moreover, they are usually available only through a physician's prescription.
Low calorie foods have also been widely advocated as a diet regimen to control excess body weight. Such low-calorie foods include low calorie spreads, which are typically water-in-oil emulsions; and low calorie sauces, such as salad dressings and mayonnaise which are typically oil-in-water emulsions.
Recently water-in-oil-in-water emulsions (w/o/w) have been described as additives for low calorie foods. Such w/o/w emulsions are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,650,690, 4,632,840 and 4,590,086.
U.S. Patent No. 4,238,520 refers to a low fat comestible spread which is an oil-in-water emulsion containing about 20% to about 40% fat, a lipoidal emulsifier, and a water-soluble or dispersible thickening agent. The fat is chosen to impart a plastic-like consistency to the emulsion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,655 refers to a flavored comestible spread which is an oil-in-water dispersion comprising water, a partial glyceride ester composition containing about 38-48% diglyceride or monoglyceride in the ratio of about 1:5 to 1:1.5 based on the diglyceride content, and triglyceride in an amount less than the mono and diglyceride contents combined.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,964 refers to food products comprising a continuous aqueous phase and a dispersed gelled aqueous phase.
European Patent Application No. 244,009 refers to a spread containing a heated dairy cream.
European Patent Application No. 257,714 refers to a multifunctional fat-continuous emulsion. The composition is a water-in-oil emulsion with a proteinaceous aqueous phase, wherein the emulsifier system comprises mono fatty acid esters of both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids with a polyhydroxy alcohol.
European Patent Application No. 265,003 refers to a water-in-oil emulsion which contains a thickened proteinaceous aqueous phase, a fatty phase, an emulsifier and a mixture of phosphatides.
European Patent Application No. 279,498 refers to a plastified dispersion with a continuous fat phase and a dispersed aqueous phase with the dispersed phase containing less than 0.1 % amino acid residues.
European Patent Application No. 279,499 refers to a plastified dispersion wherein the aqueous phase has a viscosity of less than 400 cps. at 35.degree. C.
Great Britain Patent No. 1,564,800 refers to a low fat spread containing a gelled proteinaceous aqueous phase and a continuous fatty phase.
PCT application 88/04525 refers to a water in oil (w/o) emulsion which contains at least 25% crystallized fat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,125 refers to a process for producing a low fat emulsion using a natural dairy cream and an emulsifier having a hydrophilic to lipophilic balance of about 3 to 5.
United Kingdom Patent application No. 2,021,140 refers to a dairy blend comprising butter and vegetable oil. United Kingdom Patent Application No. 1,277,772 refers to a fluid beverage comprising a mixture of whey solids and fat.
Great Britain Application No. 2,205,849 refers to a low fat spread containing an emulsifying agent, a continuous fatty phase and an aqueous phase containing protein, gelatin, starch and optionally hydrocolloids.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,690 refers to an acidified food containing fats, milk solids, an edible protein, an edible emulsifier and a Xanthomonas colloid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,236 refers to an edible w/o emulsion with a gelled aqueous phase containing a medium melting point gelling agent, i.e. xanthans, carrageenans and locust bean gum.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,389,426 refers to a w/o emulsion with a gelled phase containing two hydrocolloids.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,758 refers to a process for making a low calorie food spread by producing an oil-in-water emulsion having 1% protein in the aqueous phase.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,970 refers to an edible fat spread of the water-in-oil emulsion type containing a continuous fatty phase, a dispersed liquid aqueous phase, and dispersed gelled aqueous ingredients.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,468,408 refers to a low-fat, butter-flavored oil in water liquid spread with a dispersed phase having 5 to 40 percent fat and a continuous phase comprising 65-92% water with stabilizers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,261 refers to a hard-frozen beverage containing fat and a film-forming protein.